


what you need

by decidueye



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-27
Updated: 2016-07-27
Packaged: 2018-07-27 03:36:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7601848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/decidueye/pseuds/decidueye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Akaashi asks Kuroo to keep an eye on Bokuto for him when they go to university. Kuroo's just grateful for the opportunity to get closer to Akaashi.</p>
            </blockquote>





	what you need

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tinypersonhotel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinypersonhotel/gifts).



> written as part of the hqhols summer exchange for laubear! i hope you enjoy it, it's always a pleasure to get to write for the ot3

Akaashi sits across from him in a small cafe, closer to Nekoma than Fukurodani, and with a cutesy decor that doesn’t match either of their tastes. He’s nursing his drink with care, and seems almost nervous; not an emotion Tetsurou is used to seeing on Akaashi, as little time as they’ve spent together. The discord sets Tetsurou on edge, empathetic to Akaashi’s emotions even if he doesn’t understand them, and he coughs, uncertain, waiting for Akaashi to speak.

It takes a long time. Tetsurou busies himself examining the lace of the tablecloth, and the soft, pastel art on the walls. He can’t get a read on Akaashi, so he doesn’t bother trying - why he’s asked Tetsurou here will become clear soon enough.

“Kuroo-san,” Akaashi says, and Tetsurou’s eyes are drawn back towards him, taking him in. It’s the first time Tetsurou’s seen Akaashi outside of his gym or school uniform, and he’s surprised by the amount of taste he has. The rips in Akaashi’s jeans are artful where Kuroo’s have been gained through too much wear, and the black blazer he’s wearing over a plain white t-shirt suits him nicely.

On closer inspection, the t-shirt isn’t plain. There’s a small typography on his left breast which reads ‘don’t talk to me’ in english. Tetsurou snorts - that’s more like the Akaashi he’s come to know.

“Akaashi,” Tetsurou says, ignoring Akaashi’s raised eyebrows. “Why are we here? It doesn’t exactly seem like you’re wanting me to see your favourite haunt.”

Akaashi laughs softly into his coffee, and the sound catches Tetsurou by surprise. It’s a day of surprises, he muses, watching the curve of Akaashi’s lips as he smiles.

_ God, he’s beautiful _ , Tetsurou thinks, and then shakes himself. Now is not the time to be entertaining those thoughts.

“I wanted to make sure we wouldn’t be interrupted. The likelihood of anyone we know coming here is...slim. It was my sister’s recommendation,” Akaashi explains. This is the first time Tetsurou’s heard anything about Akaashi having a sister. He wonders if Bokuto knows.

Never one to miss an opportunity, Tetsurou adopts a leering smile, raising an eyebrow as he leans closer. “Don’t worry, babe,” he drawls, and Akaashi looks up, startled, “we’ve got all the time we need. No one’s going to bother us here.”

Akaashi shakes his head, disparaging, but Tetsurou can see the smile is back, and he considers it an achievement.

“That’s not it, Kuroo-san,” Akaashi says, correcting him even though they both know Tetsurou was joking, “I wanted to talk about Bokuto-san.”

Ah, so that’s it. Tetsurou should have figured, really; even though Tetsurou would like to consider Akaashi a friend, their only relationship is through volleyball and Bokuto. Akaashi wouldn’t have come to him about anything else.

Tetsurou waves goodbye to his budding hope of them developing their friendship and leans back, opening his arms. “Of course you did,” he says, not maliciously. “What’s up?”

Akaashi fidgets, tongue darting out to wet his lips before he speaks, voice measured and hesitant. Tetsurou observes a flush creeping up over the collar of his t-shirt; is he  _ embarrassed? _

“You’re both going to Toudai,” Akaashi says carefully, “and I...well, I still have another year of schooling, and beyond that, I don’t know where I’m going.”

“Mhm,” Tetsurou says, not following.

“The team always said that I could ‘manage’ Bokuto-san. Of course, that’s not true, and he doesn’t really need managing. But I did learn how to read him, and how to - well, how to draw out the best in him, in terms of what we needed for our team, and hopefully in terms of his well-being, too.”

“You really did,” Tetsurou says, reassuring. It was easy to see that Akaashi’s presence was good for Bokuto - they’d met before Akaashi had joined the team, at their first training camp, and the year after Tetsurou could tell that Bokuto was more comfortable with himself, and that Fukurodani was more receptive of him.

Akaashi nods, and the flush has crept further. It isn’t like him to ramble, and Tetsurou still thinks he’s taking a long time to make his point. 

“I’m...concerned,” Akaashi says slowly, into his coffee. “I’m concerned that Bokuto-san might struggle to adapt to the college environment.”

“Ah.” Realisation dawns, and Tetsurou smiles, endeared. “You want me to keep an eye on him for you?”

“I do,” Akaashi says, and his expression is pained now, like admitting to caring about Bokuto is causing him a migraine. Tetsurou laughs.

“That’s no problem, Akaashi,” he says. “Bokuto’s my friend, I was planning on hanging out with him all the time anyway. I’ll be there if he fucks up, don’t worry.”

Akaashi nods again, shoulders visibly sagging with relief, and then digs into his satchel, pulling out a notebook and a pen. He writes something on it, tears the page and hands it to Tetsurou.

“Here’s my phone number,” Akaashi speaks before Tetsurou can read it. “We should keep in touch - if there’s anything you’re concerned about, or think I can do… I get the impression Bokuto-san might hide things from me if he’s having a problem. He wants to show me he can do it.”

The last sentence is said with a small laugh, and Tetsurou smiles. Of course Akaashi believes in Bokuto - there’s a difference between concern and a lack of faith. He doubts that Akaashi has made that clear to Bokuto, though; his brutal honesty doesn’t always convey the concern behind his words.

“Thanks,” Tetsurou says, putting the number in his pocket. “I hope you know I’m going to thoroughly abuse this.”

“I’m sure,” Akaashi says drily, finishing his coffee and getting up to leave. “Thank you, Kuroo-san.”

“No problem,” Tetsurou calls to Akaashi’s retreating back, and then sighs, turning his attention to his own drink and muttering, “at least I got a number out of this date.”

*

Bokuto moves out of his parents' house for college, and he gets a room in a dorm to himself - one of the perks of being accepted on a sports scholarship, Tetsurou thinks ruefully. They agree to meet up after their first day of classes, to help Bokuto unpack and share stories about their days.

"Akaashi asked me to keep an eye on you," Tetsurou tells him almost immediately, because he doesn't believe in keeping secrets from his friends. Bokuto's reaction is a hilarious mixture of offence and dismay, but he recovers quickly when Tetsurou laughs at him, throwing a discarded pair of socks towards his face.

"The hell! Man… Though I gotta admit, I was a little surprised when Akaashi didn't tell me to text him a meal plan every day. I should have known he was up to something," Bokuto confesses, shaking his head. "He worries over nothing.”

“He’s just got it bad for you,” Tetsurou says, laughing to cover up the bitterness in his voice. “You can’t blame him for that.”

_ I don’t _ , he thinks as an aside. He’s known that Bokuto and Akaashi have a thing for each other for months, and if he hasn’t done more than a little to encourage them to get together, that’s probably because of his own selfishness. He doesn’t want them to be unhappy, of course; he just wants to be included.

Bokuto flushes, and another barrage of socks comes down on Tetsurou’s head.

“Shut up, no, he doesn’t!” he yells, too adamant to be convincing. “He’s just a mother hen is all! I don't mind you texting him, though, if that's what you're asking. It might help to hear I’m okay from someone other than me. Can you believe he doesn’t think I’m trustworthy? Hey, but maybe this way you could become friends!"

Bokuto seems delighted at the prospect, and Tetsurou tells him - a little too honestly for his own tastes - that he would like nothing more.

Now that they go to the same university, Bokuto and Tetsurou have a lot more time to hang out together, and as much as Tetsurou had been looking forward to it, it’s a lot like living in a hurricane. Bokuto’s full of ideas, and his raucous enthusiasm is so easy to get caught up in that Tetsurou finds himself going along with his schemes more often than not.

At the very least, it provides him with some incredible opportunities to get a rise out of Akaashi. It starts off simple, with Tetsurou texting a picture of Bokuto about to get on a rodeo bull, and Akaashi’s subsequent ‘!?’ means it escalates from there.

  * _Kuroo:_ Tell me, is getting a tattoo on your list of things I should stop Bokuto from doing?
  * _Akaashi:_ He’s what?



The photograph Tetsurou sends Akaashi is of a temporary tattoo, of course, on Bokuto’s ankle, but Akaashi’s reaction is very real, and Kuroo strings him along for half an hour before explaining the truth.

After a while, Tetsurou gives into his own sentimentality, texting Akaashi about things that aren’t about Bokuto. He updates him on his day after a particularly hard class, not really expecting a reply. To his surprise, his phone buzzes ten minutes later.

  * _Akaashi_ : Do you want to talk about it?



Tetsurou does, and he can’t help the small feeling of hope that builds in his chest. After that, he bugs Akaashi about small things, asking how his day has been, how Fukurodani is doing without Bokuto, and what his favourite foods are. Akaashi’s answers come stiltedly at first, as though he doesn’t trust why Tetsurou is asking him (“Hey, I’m just curious! Can’t we get to know each other? Stalker to stalker”), but after a while he begins to open up more. Tetsurou learns that Akaashi’s a vegetarian, much to Bokuto’s disdain, and that his sense of responsibility runs deeper than just looking after Bokuto. Tetsurou worries about him - he seems perpetually stressed, and Tetsurou knows that balancing volleyball with studies and homelife is no mean feat.

  * _Kuroo:_ You should hang out with me and Bokuto some time ;) we’d help you chill out
  * _Akaashi:_ Believe it or not, I think you two might be exactly what I need.
  * _Kuroo:_ I think so too



That short text exchange is like a catalyst for allowing the three of them to co-exist. Suddenly, Kuroo isn’t handling Akaashi and Bokuto in two separate relationships, but he is able to bring them together in one. It feels miraculous, and even more miraculously, he doesn’t feel like a third wheel.

Akaashi often comes over to study on the weekends, and Bokuto and Tetsurou start attending Fukurodani’s matches (Nekoma’s too, so his old team can’t say he’s being biased). The three of them develop a routine, one in which Tetsurou cooks and Bokuto plays games while Akaashi works, and then they drag him away from it for just long enough to get him to relax, sandwiching him on the couch between them for a movie and refusing to let him look at his textbooks.

“Don’t worry, Akaashi, we’ll take care of you,” Bokuto says, and there’s a hint of pride in his voice that makes Tetsurou beam. Akaashi snorts, but Tetsurou can tell he’s proud as well, and the way his fingertips rest on Tetsurou’s elbow, squeezing lightly when they make eye contact, lets Tetsurou know he’s grateful.

There’s still one thing, though. As much as they try to - mostly successfully - make Tetsurou feel included, they’re still Bokuto and Akaashi.  _ Everyone _ has been expecting them to get together for years, and the more time Tetsurou spends with the two of them, the guiltier he feels for letting himself get in the way of their happiness.

Not that he’s been actively interfering with their relationship. He just knows he could do more. He sees the way one of them will stare at the other when they think nobody is watching, and it’s getting painful. He’s always been one for a good cliché, and he knows that if you love someone (or two someones), it’s best to let them go.

“Listen, you two,” Tetsurou begins uncertainly one Saturday evening, gathered around Bokuto’s kotatsu. “It’s time we talked.”

Two sets of eyes bore into him - one curious, one cautious - and it occurs to Tetsurou that he hasn’t planned how he’s going to say this in the slightest. He might be in trouble.

“I love you both,” Okay, bad start, but Tetsurou can roll with it. “I love you both and I want you to be happy. So this has got to stop.”

“What has?” Bokuto asks simply, and Tetsurou groans. He’s going to have to spell it out for them, and the truth is probably more painful for him to admit than it could ever be for them to hear.

“The longing glances! The - doodling each others’ names in hearts or whatever it is you do in your private time. It’s starting to hurt, guys… you’ve got to admit you’ve got a thing for each other.”

“A what?” Bokuto says, indignant, at the same time as Akaashi sighs.

“Don’t try that, Bokuto-san. He knows.”

Bokuto’s shoulders slump, and Tetsurou suddenly feels shaken. This isn’t the reaction he’d been expecting. Akaashi turns to him, gaze plain, and reaches for Bokuto’s hand. Tetsurou’s gaze drops to it, and his throat gets tight.

_ Shit _ , this is harder than he thought it would be.

“Yes, Bokuto-san and I like each other,” Akaashi tells Tetsurou, and Tetsurou bites his lip. He knows this, it’s nothing he wasn’t expecting to hear. “We’ve talked about it.”

“Wait, what?”

“I told Akaashi I liked him a month ago!” Bokuto says, slamming his hand - still holding Akaashi’s - on the kotatsu. “But I also said - and we agreed we wouldn’t start dating until we could ask you…” he tails off, cheeks pinking. Tetsurou can barely follow what he’s saying.

“Ask me what? For my blessing?”

“If you would join us,” Akaashi says. Tetsurou blinks. “Bokuto-san likes you. And I do too, although it hasn’t been for as long. We only want to date each other if we can date you, too.”

“As in...like a three-way?” Tetsurou says. Bokuto beams.

“Exactly! It’s perfect, right? You know it would work; just look at how the three of us have been recently. It would be exactly the same, but with kissing and - other stuff.”

Tetsurou swallows. They’re both watching him, waiting for a reply, and even though he’s screaming an answer in his head the word won’t come to his lips.

“We understand this is an...unusual situation,” Akaashi says hesitantly. “If you want some time to think…”

“Yes!” Tetsurou finally says, and then catches himself. “I mean - no, I don’t need time to think. I want to date you. Both of you. Wow, that’s pretty cool to say.”

“Are you sure?” Akaashi asks, while Bokuto is already cheering. He leaps over the kotatsu, pulling Kuroo close to him in a breathtaking embrace. Akaashi smiles, watching them both. “Well, I certainly hope you are.”

“Of course he is! There’s no backing out now,” Bokuto laughs, and then backtracks hastily. “Unless, of course, you want to, I’m not gonna force you or anything, Kuroo…”

“It’s fine,” Tetsurou says, feeling the heat flood his cheeks. He can’t seem to stop himself from smiling, and he turns his head towards Bokuto, their noses almost touching. “Can I kiss you?”

Bokuto answers with a grin, pressing his lips firmly and excitedly against Tetsurou’s. Tetsurou barely has enough time to enjoy it before Bokuto is bounding away, kissing Akaashi just as hard and fast.

Akaashi’s feet brush Tetsurou’s knees under the kotatsu, and out of the corner of his eye he smiles at him. Tetsurou feels warmth blossom in his gut.

“Hey, we should do something to celebrate,” Bokuto says, and Tetsurou smiles softly at him. Right now, he’ll go along with anything Bokuto has to suggest. “Why not karaoke?”

“Sure,” Tetsurou says, at the same time as Akaashi says ‘absolutely not.’ “Aw, come on, Akaashi, it’ll be fun! Let me get my coat.”

Tetsurou reaches for Akaashi’s hand as they head out of the door, Bokuto leading the way, and he kisses his cheek before whispering into his ear.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret.” 

Akaashi looks at him, wary. “What secret?”

“That you’re just as weak for him as I am.” Tetsurou laughs at Akaashi’s stricken look, but he’s not ready for Akaashi’s reply.

“I’m weak for both of you.” Tetsurou flushes, and Akaashi kisses the corner of his mouth before shutting the door behind them. “Thanks for helping me relax.”

“It’s no problem, Keiji.” Tetsurou means it. He’ll help Akaashi relax for the rest of their lives.

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](http://fukurokeiji.tumblr.com/) | [twitter](http://twitter.com/katebishhop)


End file.
